


Punchline

by Salmonellagogo



Category: Original Work
Genre: Band Fic, Cheesy, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Oblivious MC, Self-Indulgent
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-20
Updated: 2017-02-20
Packaged: 2018-09-25 20:33:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 929
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9842645
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Salmonellagogo/pseuds/Salmonellagogo
Summary: Rick always has this intuition when Mikey is seconds away from doing stupid things.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Super cheesy ficlet written a long time ago. Edited and cleaned up so someone may enjoy this. :D

  
  
Saline sweat gets into his eyes, Rick blinks them away. His fingers hurt, but all that euphoric screams, the heat, and the endorphin rushing in his vein -- it'll all be worth it. Encore is the best part of a live performance.  
  
Mikey screams encouragement for the audience to make some noise. It's a cue for Chris to hit a few beats on his drums and for Rick to crank up his guitar.   
  
The audience screams impossibly louder.  
  
::  
  
They've been on Warped for a couple of months now. Rick is exhausted. His joints crack like an old man's these days.  
  
"Gross," Chris says to him as Rick yawns and wipes the drool from his face.  
  
He ignores Chris. He's been up all night writing a song with Mikey after their performance yesterday. Last night, he groaned when Mikey approached him with a twinkle in his eye, but eventually gave in -- because, Mikey comes up with some sick melody sometimes.   
  
"Rick, catch!" Lana warns him, just briefly before something sails towards Rick.  
  
Rick, with years of high school football training under his belt, catches the balled paper Lana throws him more out of reflect than anything.  
  
"What?" Rick says.  
  
"Just something funny," Lana says, giving him a crooked smile.  
  
Rick examines the crumpled paper in his hand. It seems like a cut out of a newspaper. He smooths it out and ..., his eyes widen when he sees the picture front and center.  
  
"Ugh," he groans. "How drunk again were we?"  
  
Lana snickers.  
  
::  
  
How close was too close before? Has Mikey always rests his head in Rick’s lap to play his Gameboy? Rick knows for-fucking-sure that he’s never paid so much attention to the way his friend's fingers deftly manipulate the buttons, the rapid tap of his thumb on B, even though he has an inventory full of great balls and they both know button-mashing doesn’t do shit to increase your catch rate.  
  
He plays with Mikey's hair anyway. The strands are dry and coarse after so many bathroom dye jobs, and so far, red is Rick's favorite color on Mikey.  
  
"Hey, Rick," Mikey starts. "Do you think we can play the song we wrote yesterday at tonight's show?"  
  
Rick watches Lana out of the corner of his eyes. She is looking amused -- in fact, she's down right too fucking gleeful and that indicates more than anything that bets have been placed.  
  
"If everyone adds their part into the song sometime before tonight's performance, I suppose," Rick says.  
  
He wants to ask Mikey, but Rick is too chickenshit to do something about it. There's just no way to make it not awkward. How do you approach your best friend and ask question like, did you kiss me last night?  
  
Ugh. It really is something unbelievable ... except, yeah, Mikey had, as shown by the photographic evidence.  
  
"Guys, what do you think?" Mikey puts his Gameboy down and asks the room at large. He suppresses a yawn then turns to circle his hands around Rick's stomach, nuzzling his face against Rick's shirt.  
  
Rick tenses a little. It's normal, really. Mikey and him have always been a tad bit touchy-feely. But ....  
  
Lana honest to God bursts out laughing. Rick gives her the stink eye.  
  
::  
  
Rick is drunk. He slurs most of his words as he babbles nonsense to Mikey.  
  
Mikey wraps his arms under Rick's shoulder to help him walk back to their bus. Mikey's arms are surprisingly strong despite being so skinny.   
  
"Hmmm," Rick says. He's about one second away from launching into a poetic tirade about Mikey's arms when Mikey suddenly slams him against the side of a random bus.  
  
Rick has a fleeting thought about how it must not be fun to kiss someone as drunk as him, but Mikey does it anyway. He mashes his lips on Rick's and Rick can taste the alcohol and cigarette they have been indulging during the better part of the night.  
  
Rick tries to kiss back. It is sloppy as hell. Saliva wets the lower half of both their faces when they separate. 

Mikey laughs at him.  
  
::  
  
Rick doesn't remember anything about that kiss. Someone must have been lounging in hiding inside the bushes, hoping to catch band members doing things stupid enough to make it into the media. Well, it hasn't blown out of proportion yet as far as stupid things go (their agents, for one, would have burned their ears with phone calls for indication). Silver fucking lining.  
  
Besides, Rick and Mikey have been known to be close. All those fanfictions... there is no smoke without fire. Ugh.  
  
"Tonight," Mikey shouts to the crowd. "We'd like to play a new song. I wrote the song just yesterday and my buddies added their parts into it ASAP so we could play it tonight. I really want to dedicate this song for someone."  
  
That last statement perks up Rick's ear. He doesn't remember Mikey saying anything about writing song for someone.  
  
"Some of you may have seen the newspaper this morning?" Mikey asks.  
  
Dread creeps along Rick's spine. He always has this intuition when Mikey is seconds away from doing stupid things, like that one time Mikey tried to do coke.  
  
"Well," Mikey says. "If you haven't you should."  
  
Rick cringes when Mikey turns to face him. Mikey gives him a dopey smile and walks over to him. He doesn't give Rick any chance to deflect.  
  
The crowd screams as Mikey lands a soft kiss on his lips.  
  
"It's for you Rick," Mikey whispers to his ears.  
  
Rick hears Lana's guffaw somewhere on his right.


End file.
